Study Desk

Then God spoke further to Moses and said to him, "I am the LORD.

"I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob (Israel) as God Almighty [El Shaddai], but by My name, LORD, I did not make Myself known to them [in acts and great miracles].

'Then I will take you for My people, and I will be your God; and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who redeemed you and brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Now hear this: I make you as God to Pharaoh [to declare My will and purpose to him]; and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet.

"You shall say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to you, saying, "Let My people go, so that they may serve Me in the wilderness. But behold, you have not listened until now."

Then Pharaoh said, "Tomorrow." Moses replied, "May it be as you say, so that you may know [without any doubt] and acknowledge that there is no one like the LORD our God.

So Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh, and Moses cried out to the LORD [as he had agreed to do] concerning the frogs which God had inflicted on Pharaoh.

Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the [supernatural] finger of God." But Pharaoh's heart was hardened and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.

Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, "Go, sacrifice to your God [here] in the land [of Egypt]."

But Moses said, "It is not right [or even possible] to do that, for we will sacrifice to the LORD our God what is repulsive and unacceptable to the Egyptians [that is, animals that the Egyptians consider sacred]. If we sacrifice what is repulsive and unacceptable to the Egyptians, will they not riot and stone us?

"We must go a three days' journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God as He commands us."

So Pharaoh said, "I will let you go, so that you may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away. Plead [with your God] for me."

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and tell him, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews: "Let My people go, so that they may serve Me.

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh and say to him, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, "Let My people go, so that they may serve Me.

"But as for you and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear the LORD God."

So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, "Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews: 'How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, so that they may serve Me.

Pharaoh's servants said to him, "How long shall this man be a trap to us? Let the men go, so that they may serve the LORD their God. Do you not realize that Egypt is destroyed?"

So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh, and he said to them, "Go, serve the LORD your God! Who specifically are the ones that are going?"

Then Pharaoh hurried to call for Moses and Aaron, and he said, "I have sinned against the LORD your God and against you.

"Now therefore, please forgive my sin only this once [more], and pray and entreat the LORD your God, so that He will remove this [plague of] death from me."